How to Find Truth
We live in confusing times, but truly confusion has been the norm since sin entered the world. God’s people need to know how to discern between truth and error in order to live righteous lives. We need to know how to find truth to be able to live it out. And when we know the truth, we are set free to love others and to obey God.
Bible Reading: 1 John 4-5
We are finishing up the book of 1 John and he has some amazing lessons for us about discerning truth, love and obedience. All of these words are defined not just by their meaning, but by their action. We can give lip service and say that we believe the truth, but are we living it out? Likewise, we can say that we love God or love His people, but are we demonstrating that?
1 John 4:1-6
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world. 4 You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world. Therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.”
How to Find Truth—Test the spirits
First, we need to test and see if what we are hearing or thinking lines up with the word of God. Then there is an obvious litmus test. If people deny Christ, they are not acquainted with the truth. Simply put, John says those from the world speak only from a worldly perspective. They do not speak the truth.
Sometimes people don’t like to talk in absolutes, but there is no middle ground. We are either for God and truth or not.
How to Find Truth—Know the Truth
Worldliness pulls us away with its lies. We have to be acquainted with the truth to know it. Bankers have to study and know what cash looks like to be able to recognize a counterfeit. And John says we know the truth because God is within us.
We get into trouble when we stop listening to that nudge or that check in our Spirit when something just isn’t right. But when we know the truth and walk in that truth, we are overcomers and free from deception.
How to Find Truth—Know and Love God
We cannot love others if we have not been regenerated.
1 John 4:7-8
“7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
We who know God and know His truth have got to then testify to the world so the world can know the truth.
How to Find Truth—Live it out
We get deceived when we don’t live out what we say we believe. The world needs to see us living in truth. Our witness of the truth is how we love one another.
1 John 5
18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the one who is born of God keeps him,[f] and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true one. We are in the true one—that is, in His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.”
Scripture of the Day: 1 John 4:9
“God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him.”
1 John 5:10-13
10 The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. The one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Application
- The Holy Spirit reveals truth to us so we can share it with others.
- Live what you believe.
𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘁 12 𝗽𝗺 𝗘𝗧.
Day #343: 1 John 4-5
𝒱𝑒𝓇𝓈𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒟𝒶𝓎: 1 John 4:9
“9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him.”
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